Sunday Salon, April 10th

Be willing to stand out and be different!. Photo by D. Bennett.

Weather: Lovely. Earlier this past week we had record-breaking warm temperatures one day. It was 19 degrees warmer than usual. I know that is not a good thing overall but it was lovely for this time of year to be outside without a coat enjoying the sunshine.

Last day of our Staycation is today: If you have been reading this blog lately you know that Don and I stayed home this year for Spring Break. We decided to take day trips to discover the weird and wonderful of Western Washington.

It all started with a book: Washington Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities, and Other Offbeat Stuff by Harriet Baskas. The book highlights the weird and quirky things to do in the state by town and regions. We mapped out our plan to discover and explore close to home. (Click the links to see more about our adventures.)

• Day 1: North. Jimi Hendrix Memorial; Fremont district of Seattle (Lenin statue, Troll, Waiting for the Interurban, and a rocket); The Panama Hotel and tea room; Giant Hat and boots.
• Day 2: West. Karpeles Document Museum; a peanut butter and bacon hot dog; Java Jive.
• Day 3: South: Mima Mounds; Old Bordeaux, a ghost town; The Black Houses of Olympia.
• Day 4: North: Tulips
• Day 5: Slept in and worked in the yard, though about getting tickets to the Mariners home opener but they were too expensive. Stayed home.

  

  Anne is waiting for the Interurban

On life and death: I didn't post last week because I was in Eugene attending a memorial service for a long-time family friend, and my Dad's best friend, Charlie. It was a sad reason to gather but a beautiful and inspiring service to honor a man who lived his life for God and to be a loving person to mankind. Everything about the service was affirming and healing. If anyone arrived feeling broken, they left feeling whole.  I contemplated staying home so I could attend the memorial for the student who took his own life, which was the same day. I decided to spend the day with my parents at the memorial for their friend and I am so glad I did.

April is National Poetry Month. Today I wrote this little Rumi poem "There is a Field", on the sidewalk in chalk;

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing
and rightdoing there is a field.
I’ll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass
the world is too full to talk about.

Books read the past two weeks:

• Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart---historical fiction; a book club selection.
• Burn Baby Burn by Meg Medina---audiobook; YA. Set in New York in 1977. Disco is king but Son of Sam is terrorizing the city.
• The Mystery of Hollow Places by Rebecca Podos---audiobook; YA. Imogene's father disappears but she thinks she can find him using the tools he left her. Don and I listened to this book as we drove around for our Staycation adventures.
• The Porcupine of Truth by Bill Konigsberg---YA. I finally finished this book which I stated in February.
• Teaching with Heart: Poetry that Speaks to the Courage to Teach edited by Intrator and Scribner. Love it!

Currently Reading:

• The Steep and Thorny Way by Cat Winters---YA. Historical fiction set in Oregeon. Progress 10%.
• The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton---my Classics Club selection. Progress 35%.

Library Week promotion. Just fun. See if you can keep track of all the books they show and mention.